Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

From the New York Times bestselling author of Sarahs Key and A Secret Kept comes an absorbing new novel about one womans resistance during an époque that shook Paris to its very core. Paris, France: 1860s. Hundreds of houses are being razed, whole neighborhoods reduced to ashes. By order of Emperor Napoleon III, Baron Haussman has set into motion a series of large-scale renovations that will permanently alter the face of old Paris, moulding it into a “modern city.” The reforms will erase generations of history—but in the midst of the tumult, one woman will take a stand.

Rose Bazelet is determined to fight against the destruction of her family home until the very end; as others flee, she stakes her claim in the basement of the old house on rue Childebert, ignoring the sounds of change that come closer and closer each day. Attempting to overcome the loneliness of her daily life, she begins to write letters to Armand, her beloved late husband. And as she delves into the ritual of remembering, Rose is forced to come to terms with a secret that has been buried deep in her heart for thirty years. Tatiana de Rosnay's The House I Loved is both a poignant story of one womans indelible strength, and an ode to Paris, where houses harbor the joys and sorrows of their inhabitants, and secrets endure in the very walls...

Review

"Parisian Rose Bazelet is a woman in mourning, for her husband and son, both long dead; for her distant daughter; and because of Napoleon III's ambitious urban planning agenda in the mid-19th century, an enormous project that could destroy her beloved family estate. With the planners already leveling nearby houses, Rose hides in her cellar and writes letters to her deceased husband about her struggle to save their home. As the letters continue, and destruction grows near, Rose remembers her married life. With the planners 'rattling about at the entrance' and taking her friend Alexandrine, who has come to rescue her, by surprise, Rose reveals to her late husband the dark secret she could never bring herself to tell him when he was alive. Though bestseller de Rosnay's epistolary narrative is slow to build, it's fraught with drama, as the Sarah's Key author aims to create an immersive experience in a hugely transformative period in Paris (see Paul La Farge's Haussmann, or the Distinction), when the city was torn between modernity and tradition. In Rose, one gets the clear sense of a woman losing her place in a changing world, but this isn't enough to make up for a weak narrative hung entirely on the eventual reveal of a long-buried secret." Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Review

"De Rosnays writing is eloquent and beautiful, and her characterizations are both honest and dead-on." -Kirkus

“In A Secret Kept, Tatiana de Rosnay takes us on a journey to that haunted place where the past seeps into the present, where memory appears and disappears, and where healing seems always out of reach. With her lyrical prose and her gift for creating deeply sympathetic characters, de Rosnay has given us a hopeful story, as addictive as it is moving.” --Diane Chamberlain, New York Times bestselling author of Summers Child

"A Secret Kept is a beautiful and haunting exploration of wanting - and not wanting - to understand one's past, of learning to see parents as individuals, whether the parents in question are our own or ourselves." -Erica Bauermeister, bestselling author of The School of Essential Ingredients

“A riveting tale of family, relationships, and the eerie power that memory holds over our present lives. The story gripped me from the moment that I opened the book, for it is told with incredible sensitivity and depth.” -Katherine Howe, New York Times bestselling author of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

Review

Praise for The House I Loved:

“In her quietly elegant 11th novel, the bestselling author of Sarahs Key again explores the idea of home as both sanctuary and embodiment of history… [Roses] letters, poetic and honest, reveal a world soon to be destroyed by progress. A mesmerizing look at how the homes and neighborhoods we occupy hold not only our memories but our secrets as well.” - People (3 out of 4 stars)

“De Rosnays delicacy and the flavor of her beloved Paris are everywhere in this brief but memorable book. Replete with treats, particularly for Paris-lovers—indeed for anyone wedded to a special place.” - Kirkus (starred review)

“Those who enjoyed Sarahs Key will recognize de Rosnays love for her native France and appreciate the poignancy and tenacity of her characters.” - Booklist

“The core of Paris by a phenomenal novelist.” - Elle (France)

“Fraught with drama, as the Sarahs Key author aims to create an immersive experience in a hugely transformative period in Paris…when the city was torn between modernity and tradition. In Rose, one gets the clear sense of a woman losing her place in a changing world.” - Publishers Weekly

“Whether you approve of Baron Haussmann's modernization of the French capital or not, Tatiana de Rosnay's new book, The House I Loved, is sure to enthrall those who want to learn more about this fascinating period in history.” - Out and About In Paris

Review

“The audiobook passes quickly, giving listeners a compelling crash course on a pocket of French history while entertaining them with the story of a woman who seems to walk the line between completely rational and utterly daft.” - Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“Tatiana de Rosnays novel is skillfully narrated by the delightful Kate Reading…Readings subtle tones and refined accents are pitch-perfect as Rose reveals her most cherished moments and her deepest secrets.” - AudioFile Magazine

“If you pick up the audio version, it is only enhanced by Kate Readings narration. Her French accent complemented the story without being distracting and gave a strong voice to the storys heroine.” - Columbia Daily Tribune

“An emotional, poignant story of adoration, loss, and bravery, The House I Loved is an unforgettable listening experience, and highly recommended.” - The Midwest Book Review

“Kate Readings narration transports listeners to the streets of Paris…De Rosnays prose is enhanced by Readings stellar narration; she reads with a robust English accent, sprinkling her performance with almost flawless French pronunciations.” - Publishers Weekly

“As we get to know Rose (through Kate Readings voice, her intimate laughter, and the smiles that we can hear in her tone), we begin to wait patiently as she builds the courage to tell us the secret shes kept locked up for most of her life.” - New World Review

“An audio book makes a welcome companion on a long drive, provided its the right one. This fits the bill: absorbing and easy to follow without the complexities that might make it a driving distraction.” - Newark Star-Ledger

Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of Sarahs Key and A Secret Kept comes an absorbing new novel about one womans resistance during an époque that shook Paris to its very core. Paris, France: 1860s. Hundreds of houses are being razed, whole neighborhoods reduced to ashes. By order of Emperor Napoleon III, Baron Haussman has set into motion a series of large-scale renovations that will permanently alter the face of old Paris, moulding it into a “modern city.” The reforms will erase generations of history—but in the midst of the tumult, one woman will take a stand.

Rose Bazelet is determined to fight against the destruction of her family home until the very end; as others flee, she stakes her claim in the basement of the old house on rue Childebert, ignoring the sounds of change that come closer and closer each day. Attempting to overcome the loneliness of her daily life, she begins to write letters to Armand, her beloved late husband. And as she delves into the ritual of remembering, Rose is forced to come to terms with a secret that has been buried deep in her heart for thirty years. Tatiana de Rosnay's The House I Loved is both a poignant story of one womans indelible strength, and an ode to Paris, where houses harbor the joys and sorrows of their inhabitants, and secrets endure in the very walls...

Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of Sarahs Key and A Secret Kept comes an absorbing new novel about one womans resistance during an époque that shook Paris to its very core. Paris, France: 1860s. Hundreds of houses are being razed, whole neighborhoods reduced to ashes. By order of Emperor Napoleon III, Baron Haussman has set into motion a series of large-scale renovations that will permanently alter the face of old Paris, moulding it into a “modern city.” The reforms will erase generations of history—but in the midst of the tumult, one woman will take a stand.

Rose Bazelet is determined to fight against the destruction of her family home until the very end; as others flee, she stakes her claim in the basement of the old house on rue Childebert, ignoring the sounds of change that come closer and closer each day. Attempting to overcome the loneliness of her daily life, she begins to write letters to Armand, her beloved late husband. And as she delves into the ritual of remembering, Rose is forced to come to terms with a secret that has been buried deep in her heart for thirty years. Tatiana de Rosnay's The House I Loved is both a poignant story of one womans indelible strength, and an ode to Paris, where houses harbor the joys and sorrows of their inhabitants, and secrets endure in the very walls...

About the Author

TATIANA DE ROSNAY is the author of ten novels, including the New York Times bestselling novel Sarahs Key, an international sensation with over 4 million copies sold in thirty-five countries worldwide that has now been made into a major film to be released in Spring, 2011. Together with Dan Brown, Stephenie Meyer, and Stieg Larsson, she was named one of the top ten fiction writers in Europe in 2009. Tatiana lives with her husband and two children in Paris, where she is at work on her next novel. Kate Reading is the recipient of multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards and has been named by AudioFile magazine as a “Voice of the Century,” as well as the Best Voice in Science Fiction & Fantasy in 2008 and 2009 and Best Voice in Biography & Culture in 2010. She has narrated works by authors as Jane Austen, Robert Jordan, Edith Wharton, and Sophie Kinsella. Reading has performed at numerous theaters in Washington D.C. and received a Helen Hayes Award for her performance in Aunt Dan and Lemon.

Reading Group Guide

1. One of the central elements of the novel is Roses deep and abiding love for the house in which she spent her married life, which becomes apparent from her many memories tied to every room. What does the house represent for Rose, and how did it change her life? By the end of the novel, it seems as though Rose views her house as the most important thing in her life. Although others would see the house as a possession, do you think Rose views it that way? Have you ever had this experience of loving a place or a thing as deeply as if it were a living person?

2. Baron Haussmann was described by his opponents as the “Atilla of the straight line” and the “Ripper Baron,” nicknames that Rose approved of. But Alexandrine, the flower girl, does not agree, and has another point of view, that of a necessary progress that Paris badly needed. How do Roses and Alexandrines opinions differ, and why? Whose do you feel closest to?

3. Rose loves her son, Baptiste, deeply, despite the fact that he was associated with an extremely difficult time of her life—and more than she seems to love their natural daughter, Violette. Why do you think this is? Do you think its true to life or even possible to love someone (or something) who comes out of intense hardship? Why or why not? Have you ever experienced or seen relationships like those which Rose has with each of her children?

4. Secrets are an important theme throughout The House I Loved. By the end of the novel, we learn that Rose has kept a devastating secret for her entire life from everyone she holds dear. How do you think it affects a person to keep such an important secret for so long? How did it affect Rose? Have you ever had a similar experience?

5. In a sense, Roses letters to her husband throughout the novel are her way of finally revealing her secret. Do you see any purpose in her telling the secret at this point in her life, with her husband already gone? Does it change or help her? And if so, how?

6. Between the years of 1852 and 1870, Napoléon III and Baron Haussmann remodeled large sections of Paris in an attempt to bring the city into the “modern” era. Did you know anything about this major period in Pariss history before reading this novel? What surprised or interested you about how Tatiana de Rosnay re-created that era?

7. How do you feel that Roses secret past (the episode she hides from her husband and entourage) relates to what Haussmann, the “Ripper Baron,” is doing to Paris? How exactly does Rose, in the final pages, describe her personal ordeal and compare it to Haussmanns tearing down of her home?

8. Flowers play an important part in this novel. Discuss what Rose learns through the flower shop and Alexandrines job as a florist. Pick out the rare roses and their names, and how Tatiana de Rosnay uses the symbol of roses and flowers throughout the book.

9. Alexandrine, the flower girl, and Gilbert, the ragpicker, are close to Rose, in different ways. Discuss the differences and similiarities of their relationships with Rose, of their secret pasts, of how they each try to help Rose.

10. The elegant Baronne de Vresse fascinates Rose with her fashionable crinolines and the balls she attends in Paris and Biarritz. Rose loves clothes and fashion, yet she strongly disapproves of the fashionable emperor and empress. Why do you think this is so? How does it speak to who Rose is as a character?

11. Rose discovers the joys of reading late in life. How and when does this happen? What is the first book she falls in love with? How did you fall under the spell of reading?

12. If you have read Sarahs Key and A Secret Kept, Tatiana de Rosnays previous novels, can you pick up any themes that are common to all three books?

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What Our Readers Are Saying

Average customer rating 5 (1 comments)

I loved this book. Tatiana De Rosnay's "The House I Loved" is a beautiful novel that grabbed my senses and didn't let go. "The House I Loved" is a love story about place and memory. This is the story of Rose Bazelet and her house. The Bazelet house with all others on Rue Childebert is destined for destruction to make ways for the grand boulevards of 'modern Paris'. Yet Rose Bazelet vows to remain. As her neighborhood empties, Rose offsets her isolation through letters written to her late husband and slowly reveals the one secret she maintained for thirty years. "The House I Loved" is a beautifully written testament to the endurance of love. (For complete review, go to luxaryreading(dot)com.)